Transportation - Archive

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) recently filed a nationwide lawsuit against FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. (“FedEx Ground”) alleging that FedEx Ground discriminated against deaf or hard-of-hearing Package Handlers or applicants for the Package Handler position in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). EEOC alleges that FedEx Ground violated the ADA by, for example, failing to provide deaf or hard-of-hearing Package Handler applicants or employees with effective communication accommodations during the hiring process, in orientation and training, and for work-related meetings and communications. You can find more information about this lawsuit at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/10-10-14.cfm.

We are attempting to reach deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals nationwide who may have applied for, or worked as, a Package Handler with FedEx Ground and who may be covered by the lawsuit. We would appreciate your assistance in circulating information about this lawsuit to your members, including by posting about it on your website and including it in newsletters, e-mails, or other communications with your members. In notifying your members about this lawsuit, we ask that you include the following link – http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/litigation/fedex.cfm – which contains an ASL informational video about the lawsuit. Persons who think they are covered by the lawsuit should contact the EEOC by e-mailing fedexgroundlawsuit@eeoc.gov or by leaving a message, through Video Relay Service, at 215-440-2670.

Orange Line Station Closures; Red & Blue Line Single Tracking

Weekend highlights include:
Buses will replace Orange Line trains between West Falls Church and Vienna from 12:01 a.m. Saturday until Sunday closing. Dunn Loring and Vienna stations will be closed. Shuttle buses will operate on two routes: Express stop buses will operate between Vienna and West Falls Church with no intermediate stops (add up to 25 minutes of additional travel time) and local buses will operate between Vienna and West Falls Church, making an intermediate stop Dunn Loring (allow 15 minutes of travel time for each station stop).

Red Line trains will operate every 16 minutes between Shady Grove & Glenmont beginning at 10:00 p.m. Friday through system closing on Sunday, and every 8-10 minutes between Grosvenor & NoMa-Gallaudet U Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. only.

On Saturday only, Blue Line trains will arrive and depart every 20 minutes at Franconia-Springfield. Trains between Van Dorn St and Largo Town Center will operate at regular Saturday intervals.

The Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel Introduces New Technology to Help Hearing-Impaired Guests

State-of-the-Art System Is a First Among Arlington, VA Luxury Hotels

ARLINGTON, VA–(Marketwired – Sep 5, 2014) – One of the key components to great travel is good communication. Whether a person is reviewing directions to a museum, getting tips for the best local restaurants or understanding all the amenities available on property, making memories starts with inspired conversation. And at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel, new T-Loop technology ensures that hearing-impaired guests don’t miss a word of it.

Developed by Ampetronic, the new technology was specially designed for counters and reception desks like the one at this hotel in downtown Arlington, VA. But the T-Loop driver’s discreet proportions (it measures just 128-by-74-by-35-mm big) belie its significant amplification capabilities. Metal-loss correction ensures a superior audio quality for the listener, while the features — choice of microphone, integral power supply and free technical support — guarantee it’s as easy for hotel associates to use as it is helpful for the hearing-impaired guests they chat with.

When a hearing-impaired guest arrives at the hotel, signage directs him/her to the specially designated area of the reception desk where s/he can indicate a preference to use the T-Loop technology. The hotel associate then furnishes the guest with a special headset, before s/he speaks into a connected microphone to communicate clearly and effectively.

The T-Loop technology represents exciting possibilities for hearing-impaired travelers and further distinguishes this property from other hotels in Arlington, VA. Now hearing-impaired guests can enjoy enhanced communication as well as the property’s extensive repertoire of amenities. Sleek architecture, boutique styling and a location in the heart of Crystal City’s business and dining district promise a one-of-a-kind stay that hearing-impaired guests can now experience to the fullest.

While T-Loop technology may be a rarity among downtown hotels in Arlington, VA, the difference it makes for hearing-impaired guests cannot be overemphasized. Not only does it help facilitate the sort of conversations that lead to great travel experiences, but it demonstrates that the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel is a place that strives to understand and attend sensitively to all of its guests’ needs. And that’s one message that consistently comes across.

About the Renaissance Arlington Capital View HotelTravelers looking for a stylish fusion of originality and luxury will appreciate the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel. The boutique property welcomes guests with 300 guest rooms and suites outfitted with plush Revive bedding, organic Aveda bath products, mini-refrigerators, Plug-in Technology Panels and 37-inch, flat-panel HD televisions. But there’s plenty more to find outside one’s guest room. SOCCi, for example, wins over palates with its modern Italian dishes that feature local produce, while Espressamente illy serves as SOCCi’s ideal café counterpart. A new lobby, fitness center, heated indoor pool and bicycle rentals are just a few more ways the property stands out from other Arlington, VA hotels, while corporate guests will appreciate the hotel’s 16 flexible meeting rooms. Much like the property itself, the hotel’s location caters to every sort of traveler. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, IBM, the Pentagon and countless other businesses and government agencies are close by for business guests. And local attractions like Mount Vernon Trail and the National Mall make for sightseeing that’s as inspired as the hotel.

The Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services is assisting the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in assessing both curb cuts in need of repair AND identifying places where curb cuts do not exist and need to be installed.

Although VDOT intends to assess across the Commonwealth, the immediate priority areas are Northern Virginia, Richmond and Tidewater.

This is a great opportunity to provide VDOT input in changing our communities and providing optimal access for all!

Please take a minute to complete yourself or to ask consumers and community members to fill out the survey linked below—please help spread the word on this.

Metro will host a community meeting to present service improvement proposals for the Annandale service area (Metrobus Routes 16A, 16D, 16L, 29C, 29E, 29G, 29H, 29X). The meeting is being held to gather public comment on service improvement proposals in advance of future Public Hearings on Metrobus service changes scheduled for late summer.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) wants U.S. airlines to add closed captioning to movies that are shown during long flights in an effort to aid hearing impaired airline passengers.

Harkin said he was considering adding an amendment requiring the airline industry to at least study the proposal to a $54 billion funding bill for the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development during a markup of the measure on Thursday.

“I have been trying for some time to get the airlines to provide closed captions on the movies on their airplanes. I can’t understand why they don’t do it. It doesn’t cost anything,” Harkin said after the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to send the measure to the full of the floor Senate.

Harkin said the idea of close captioning in-flight movies may seem trivial, but he said it was very important to people who are deaf and hard of hearing.

“I have a friend of mine who’s deaf who is a lawyer who travels to Europe [who] likes to watch a movie, can’t,” Harkin said. “The only movie he can watch is a German or a French movie that has English subtitles. But if it’s an American movie, it has French subtitles and German subtitles and Chinese subtitles, but not English subtitles.”

The Association for Airline Passenger Rights, (AAPR) today announced a new partnership with Caption First, a leading communication access company that provides CART, captioning and
transcription. The AAPR-Caption First partnership will ensure that realtime captioning services are provided for all AAPR information and programs, thereby making them fully accessible for members who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Realtime captioning is the practice of converting the spoken word into instant text. The partnership also aims to identify best practices to be used within the aviation industry to ensure air travel is made more accessible for passengers with hearing impairments.

In February 2010, AAPR was the first airline passenger rights group to call on the U.S. Department of Transportation to require commercial air carriers to provide closed captioning or subtitles on all in-flight entertainment for passengers with hearing loss. While DOT requires that captioning be available on all safety and information-related videos, it does not enforce the same accessibility standard for in-flight entertainment, such as movies and television shows.

“We’re excited to team up with Caption First, who will be aiding us with the conversion of speech into text for all of our programmatic activities,” stated Brandon M. Macsata, Executive Director of the Association for Airline Passenger Rights, of the partnership with Caption First. “With our partnership, we’re taking the necessary steps to provide word-for-word services that are easy to use whenever, wherever and however needed. In other words, we’re leading by example.”

The seeds for the new partnership were sowed in December 2013, when Caption First served as one of the sponsors for the 1st Annual Airline Accessibility Conference. To learn more about the conference, or download a transcription of it, go to http://www.flyfriendlyskies.com.events.html.

“Caption First is delighted to partner with the Association for Airline Passenger Rights,” stated Patricia Graves, President of Caption First. “For too long the communication needs of passengers who are Deaf or hard of hearing have been ignored. We look forward to working with AAPR to create positive changes in the aviation industry.”

Captioning to Begin in Early 2014

NEWPORT BEACH: Southwest Airlines will be among the first carriers in the United States to introduce closed captioning to its wireless video entertainment product when the low-cost giant rolls out CC in early 2014.

The move will come as welcome news to the many deaf and hard of hearing (HoH) passengers who have been calling on airlines here and abroad to offer CC on in-seat and wireless IFE systems.

Airlines that have been slow to offer CC – together with content creators and suppliers – may feel further pressure to take action because Southwest is taking the lead on the wireless front. United Airlines in 2011 announced availability of CC on the live television systems installed on its Continental Airlines Boeing fleet.

“We’re working with Major League Baseball Advanced Media, which delivers our TV and video to the aircraft and they have to implement [CC] on their end. They’ll do all our video, both live and cached,” Southwest manager inflight product development Angela Vargo told Runway Girl Network today on the sidelines of the APEX Technology Committee conference in Newport Beach, California.

The U.S. Department of Transportation invites you to join us for a webinar on the new Air Carrier Access Rules on Thursday, November 14, 2013. During this webinar, we will highlight the specific aspects of two new rules; (1) airline website and kiosk accessibility; and (2) the stowage of manual wheelchairs on aircraft. Following presentations, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions using the chat feature.

Distributed 2013 by Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC), 3951 Pender Drive, Suite 130, Fairfax, VA 22030; www.nvrc.org; 703-352-9055 V, 703-352-9056 TTY, 703-352-9058 Fax. Items in this newsletter are provided for information purposes only; NVRC does not endorse products or services. You do not need permission to share this information, but please be sure to credit NVRC. This news service is free of charge, but donations are greatly appreciated.

DOT Announces Two New Air Carrier Access Act Rules and Issues $1.2 Million Fine For Inadequate Wheelchair Assistance

From US Department of Transportation (DOT), 11/4/2013

The US Department of Transportation announced today two new rules to make flying easier for passengers with disabilities. It also fined US Airways $1.2 million for failing to provide adequate wheelchair assistance to passengers in Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C.

One rule requires airline websites and automated airport kiosks to be accessible to passengers with disabilities. Under the new websites-and-kiosks rule, covered airlines are required within two years to make pages of their websites that contain core travel information and services accessible to persons with disabilities, and to make all of their web pages accessible within three years. Also, any automated kiosks installed at U.S. airports for services — such as printing boarding passes and baggage tags –must be accessible to passengers with disabilities until at least 25 percent of all kiosks at each airport location are accessible. The rule on accessible websites and kiosks is available on the Internet at www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2011-0177. It is also available at http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/aviation-rules.

A separate rule provides airlines with more flexibility in how they transport manual, folding wheelchairs onboard, making it possible for them to carry up to two wheelchairs in the cabin. DOT’s wheelchair rule provides airlines with more flexibility because it permits airlines to transport passenger wheelchairs by strapping them across a row of seats using a strap kit that complies with applicable safety standards, in addition to stowing them in a closet or similar compartment. If an airline chooses to use the seat-strapping method to stow a wheelchair, it must transport two wheelchairs in the cabin if requested unless stowing the second wheelchair would displace other passengers. If an airline chooses to use a closet to stow a wheelchair, then it will still be required to stow only one wheelchair in the cabin. However, in this case it must install a sign or placard prominently on the closet indicating that a wheelchair and other assistive devices are to be stowed in this area with priority over other items brought onto the aircraft by other passengers or crew, including crew luggage. The final rule on seat-strapping of wheelchairs is available on the Internet atwww.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2011-0098. It is also available at http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/aviation-rules.

As for the order against US Airways, in one of its periodic reviews of airline compliance with DOT rules, the Department’s Aviation Enforcement Office found that US Airways committed a significant number of violations of the requirements for wheelchair assistance during 2011 and 2012 at Philadelphia International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport. As a result, US Airways was fined $1.2 million for failing to provide adequate wheelchair assistance to passengers in Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C. The fine is one of the largest ever assessed by DOT in a disability case. The order is posted on regulations.gov athttp://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=DOT-OST-2013-0004-0033.

Distributed 2013 by Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC), 3951 Pender Drive, Suite 130, Fairfax, VA 22030; www.nvrc.org; 703-352-9055 V, 703-352-9056 TTY, 703-352-9058 Fax. Items in this newsletter are provided for information purposes only; NVRC does not endorse products or services. You do not need permission to share this information, but please be sure to credit NVRC. This news service is free of charge, but donations are greatly appreciated.

Lou Touchette is an active member of the Adult Loss of Hearing Association (ALOHA). For the past four years he has spearheaded a program called “Let’s Loop Tucson.” In this capacity he has been working with 350 local churches, the Tucson Airport, local businesses, libraries and individuals to install and promote “Looping.” He teaches loop installation classes, does presentations in the community and across the country, co-hosts monthly hearing loss meetings in Green Valley, writes articles and is always available to do looping demonstrations whenever/wherever needed. He has been on both radio and TV and often appears in local and national newspaper articles. As a hard of hearing person, he is dedicated to making life better for others like himself. He has both a hearing aid and a cochlear implant to enable him to hear. Here are his observations:

Having cruised on both Oceania and Holland America I can share my own experiences as a hard of hearing person.

In a guest column for the Memphis Daily News, Jim Mulroy, managing partner of Jackson Lewis’ Memphis Office, weighs in on the exemptions now being made available to hearing impaired truck drivers and what led the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to grant a request for 40 of these exemptions.

He writes: “Although the agency limited the exemption to include only the 40 applicants, it announced an intention to begin the rule-making process to address the issue. The EEOC, the Deaf Truck Drivers United and the National Association for the Deaf supported the decision.”

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), long-time champion of the rights of people with disabilities and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, has introduced new amendments to the ADA and to the Air Carriers Access Act to expand access to media.

These new bills promise to fully include people with sensory disabilities in two key venues for entertainment and information: movie theaters and airlines. They require captions and video description in movie theaters as well as in-flight entertainment, and include provisions for making seat-back touch-screens accessible on airlines.

Access Board to Form Advisory Committee on Update of Rail Vehicle Guidelines

The Access Board is organizing an advisory committee to assist in the review and update of its ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles and seeks nominations for membership. The Rail Vehicles Access Advisory Committee will develop consensus recommendations for the Board’s use in updating sections of the guidelines that cover vehicles of fixed guideway systems, including rapid, light, commuter, intercity, and high speed rail. The committee’s work will not extend to portions of the guidelines that address buses and vans which the Board is already in the process of updating.

The Board seeks to include representatives from rail vehicle manufacturers, transit providers, disability groups, and other stakeholders and interested parties on the committee. The committee will be balanced in terms of interests represented. A notice issued by the Board provides further details, including application instructions. The deadline for applications is April 1.

Meetings of the advisory committee will be open to the public and will provide opportunities for all interested parties to provide information. Its work will be conducted in accordance with regulations governing Federal advisory committees. Committee membership is voluntary, and members will not be paid or reimbursed for their services.

For further information, visit the Board’s website or contact Paul Beatty at rvaac@access-board.gov, (202) 272-0012 (voice), or (202) 272-0072 (TTY).

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted the first exemption to rules for interstate commercial drivers when it comes to hearing standards.

Forty individuals received permission to operate commercial vehicles in interstate commerce effective last Friday. It’s good for two years and may be renewed.

The request was made of the agency last May, with comments taken until the end of July. FMCSA received 570 responses.

Several of the applicants had previous experience driving interstate and became unable to pass the required hearing test, while others had been involved in intrastate commerce, were bus drivers, had driven smaller commercial vehicles or were looking to become first-time truckers.

In announcing its decisions, the FMCSA said “granting exemptions for these CMV (commercial motor vehicle) drivers will provide a level of safety that is equivalent to or greater than the level of safety maintained without the exemptions.

Current FMCSA standards for hearing were adopted more than 40 years ago.

The applicants received assistance from the National Association of the Deaf. The association cited and FMCSA Medical Review Board study from 2008 that examined the relationship between hearing loss and crash risk exclusively among CMV drivers, as well as evidence from studies of the private bus driver license holder population, saying these studies do not support the contention that individuals with hearing impairment are at an increased risk for crash.

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